Connect with TRB

THE FACTORS INFLUENCING DWI IN NORTH CAROLINA

This report presents an updated evaluation of the effectiveness of the Safe Roads Act as of 1988, in terms of reducing alcohol related crash involvement, nighttime crash involvement (an often used proxy measure of driving while impaired (DWI) involvement), DWI arrests, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels over the period 1980 to 1988. In addition it presents the levels of conviction for DWI for all those persons arrested for DWI and for those arrested for DWI who exceed the per se level of .10. This report also examines trends in DWI arrest rates and alcohol related crashes in order to determine the effectiveness of this legislation on various sub-groups of the population to ascertain if all groups were responding in a positive fashion to the law. The DWI arrest rates and alcohol related crash trends are presented by age, race and sex.